Hearts and Heroes Novelization
by BentleyGirl
Summary: What started as a dream of meeting Markiplier turns into an incredible adventure for young fan Taryn. She is tasked with saving people from the mysterious Terrorlings and soon creates a small team of friends, each with their own struggles. Together, they will learn what it truly means to be a hero with a heart. Based on the fan game by Team Hearts and Heroes. (SPOILERS INBOUND)
1. A Hero is Chosen

**Hello readers and welcome to my novelization of Hearts and Heroes.**

**Now, for those of you who don't know, Hearts and Heroes is a fan game created by an amazing team of people for a truly incredible YouTuber, Markiplier. When I saw this come up on Mark's channel, I looked it up and found it on Gamejolt. And since Mark's video was over four hours meaning that he played the full game, I decided to download it for myself and see what it was like before watching his video. My response at the end was "Oh my God, these people have created a masterpiece!" And seeing how Mark reacted to it was amazing, too.**

**This story is in no way intended to advertise Mark's channel; he doesn't know me at all. It's simply a way to express my appreciation to the developers of this game and to put a few little spins of my own.**

**DISCLAIMER: The rights to this game belong to the developers, Team Hearts and Heroes. The only things I own are the names of the six main characters.**

**WARNING: The story will contain spoilers to the game. Please play the game for yourself, or watch Mark's video of it, before you continue.**

**FURTHER WARNING: The characters in the game will bring up some heavy topics. Reader discretion is advised.**

* * *

Chapter 1: A Hero is Chosen

_Heroes. Everybody loves cheering for heroes; on TV, in movies or video games, even in real life. We all love heroes. But what exactly defines a hero? For some people, it's hard to say. But I believe that a true hero is someone who decides to be brave when others cower, someone who's willing to risk their safety to protect others, someone who doesn't get over their fear but acts in spite of it._

_Now I know what you're thinking, "You must be a hero yourself if you know the qualities of heroism." And you'd be mostly right. But I wasn't alone in my adventures. Let me tell you the story of the craziest week in my life, starring five other people like me, a miniature talking box, and, of course, my absolute favorite YouTuber of all time__…_

I woke up from a strange dream to find myself in darkness. A noise had startled me from my sleep and I looked around the room, my eyes adjusting to the gloom. "Hello? Is anyone there?" I called out. But nobody replied. "Guess not."

Nervously, I climbed out of my bed, except it wasn't my bed. And the room I was in was not my bedroom; it looked like an old storage space. "I need to get out here, wherever here is."

A window caught my eye and I peered at outside for a moment. "I see… nothing?" Leaning back, I took in my reflection. I was still wearing my light green-gray shirt and blue overalls. Two yellow ribbons held up my hair in ponytails. I then saw something different on my left sleeve; a red heart shape. "Huh? Where did that come from?"

With nothing in the room to help me, I carefully walked out the door and explored the rest of the house. As I entered the kitchen, I spotted something lying next to a pile of crates. It was a small box no bigger than my fist with two spindly appendages ending in a hand. I moved closer to examine it, and a thought struck my mind. "Wait a second… this is-"

Suddenly a bright light flashed out in the darkness and I fell back in shock, covering my eyes. Then a voice spoke out to me, a very familiar voice. "Hello there."

"What the hell?" I snapped, lowering my hands. "How did yo-" My words caught in my throat when I saw the person who'd spoken.

He was a young Korean man in his late 20's with black floofy hair and a kind look in his eyes behind his glasses. His black shirt bore a big white M and a pink curly moustache in the middle, and the same heart-shape on its sleeve. Instantly I recognized him, having seen his face hundreds of times on YouTube. "Oh my God," I breathed, getting to my feet. "You're Markiplier!"

"In the flesh," the man beamed. "Well… sorta…" His smile faded as he looked around the kitchen. "So, I know this isn't the best way to meet, but I need you to come with me."

"What? Where are we?" I asked, still unsure about what was going on.

Just then, I got another fright as the little box jumped up next to me and hopped over to Mark. It was then I saw that the box had an adorable face on its other side. "Hiya, Mark!" it cried out in a cute squeaky voice.

"Tiny Box Tim!" Mark cried in joy, scooping up the box. "There you are, my lil' biscuit! Thanks for letting me know she was here."

Still recovering from both shocks, I turned to Mark for answers. "What's going on?"

Mark placed Tiny Box Tim on his shoulder and smiled again. "Well for starters, you're dreaming right now!"

"Well, I guess that explains things," I sighed in relief. "None of this is actually happening."

"Well, not exactly," Mark admitted. "It's not just you who's dreaming. I'm dreaming too." He held out his hand. "All of this will make more sense if you come with me."

Even though I was keen to get away from this place, I was still a little apprehensive. I mean, wouldn't you be if you suddenly found yourself in a creepy old house and your favorite YouTuber ever appeared before you, telling you to go with them? "Where are we going?"

"A place where you'll be safe…" Mark replied.

"Safe?" I asked. "From what?"

Mark glanced over his shoulder for a second. "I'd really love to tell you, but we really should get a move on."

"But why?"

"Just trust me, okay?" Mark insisted in low tones.

Now, having watched practically all of Mark's videos, I always felt soothed when he lowered his voice. There was something about it that calmed my mind and removed any bad thoughts. And it was that voice that made me forget my concerns now and reach out to take his hand.

As I did, the light appeared again, surrounding me, Mark, and Tiny Box Tim. I looked up with a gasp to see the dark mansion dissolving around me…

* * *

When the light faded again, I stumbled back and shook my head. "Whoa! Feeling a little dizzy…" I then turned back to Mark. "Now can I know where I am?"

"Of course," Mark smiled, raising his arms. "Welcome to the Markihub!"

I looked around me in amazement. We were standing in the middle of an auditorium next to several rows of chairs. A few people about my age milled around the room, chatting to each other or standing in the corners. "This area is basically 'home base' for people like us," Mark explained.

"Like us?" I asked.

"You, me, and many others were chosen to join the fight against the Terrorlings," Mark replied.

"The what?" That name sounded very made-up to me.

"Hear me out on this, alright?" Mark replied, waving his hands. "Terrorlings are like demons that feed off of negative emotions; sadness, fear, anger, grief. They can only affect people's dreams as of now, but the damage they can cause is very real. And if they grow strong enough, I'm afraid that their darkness will begin to seep into the waking world."

I gulped at the explanation. "That sounds… not good."

"Yeah, it's definitely not good," Mark agreed grimly. "But that's why we're here to help. This, as I mentioned, is the hub or Markihub as some people call it."

At the name, I let out a snort. "Seriously?"

"Hey, I'm staying on brand, alright?" Mark scowled, folding his arms.

I cleared my throat to stifle my laughter. "So what do you do here?"

"Well, people come here to train for battling the Terrorlings," Mark said. "They can also gather supplies and meet up with their teammates before missions. Then when the third shift bell strikes, a portal will open to take you to the person that needs to be saved."

Right on cue, a dull ringing tone sounded out around the Markihub.

"Speaking of, that's the first bell," Mark added, lifting Tiny Box Tim off his shoulder. "You've still got a lot to do, but first, follow me to the training room."

He led me down a corridor while Tim hopped away in a different direction. In the corridor, I looked up at two adorable portraits on the wall before entering the door on my left.

I walked into a room with weapons lining the wall and training mats on the floor. Other people were fighting with each other or with training dummies. Mark waved me over to a corner of the room.

"Okay, now that we're here…" Mark smiled and raised his fists. "Let's fight!"

"Wait, what?" I was so shocked that I almost failed to see Mark strike out at my face. I quickly raised my arms, barely deflecting the attack.

"Come on," Mark cried. "Let's do this!"

"But wait, how do I do this?" I cried.

"Just hit me as hard as you can," Mark called.

"I don't want to hurt you!"

"Don't sweat it, I've been doing this for a long time. I can take whatever you throw at me!" Mark kissed his bicep. "So go on, hold nothing back!"

Taking a breath, I threw out my fist to punch Mark. He grunted a bit as I hit his chest then he punched back twice as hard, knocking me off my feet. "You holding up there, buddy?"

"Yeah, I'm doing good," I panted.

"Here, take these." Mark threw out a small pink object and a bottle of liquid at me. "The pink thing is a Heart Fragment; it will heal you up if you get too badly hurt. And the Bottle of Rum and Dr. Pep will recover your mana for your spells and special attacks. FYI, it's not really rum, it's actually just Dr. Pep and grenadine. We just say it's rum to make it sound cool. There are all sorts of items that can heal you, restore your mana, boost your strength and defence, and all sorts of other cool stuff as well."

"Wow, thanks!" I ate my Heart Fragment, feeling my strength return. Then I struck out again with a double punch that Mark easily blocked.

"Alright then, not too shabby," Mark beamed.

"Thanks," I breathed heavily. "That wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be."

"You'll get the hang of it in no time," Mark chuckled. "But now that you've gotten a bit of a feel for fighting, you should go ahead and choose your class."

"My class?" I asked.

"Everyone has a different fighting style," Mark replied. "Go across the corridor to the armory. The weapons dealer there will help you choose what class you want to learn. I have some other things to do real quick. When you're finished, I'll tell you a little more about the Terrorlings and your first mission."

I placed a hand on my head. Everything was happening almost too fast. "This can't be real! You even said this is all just a dream!"

"Oh trust me, this might be a dream, but you'll see soon enough how powerful one's dreams can be."

Still reeling at the thoughts, I walked towards the door but as I opened it, Mark called me. "Oh, before you go, you obviously know my name, but I haven't asked what yours is."

I looked back with a smile. "It's Taryn."

Mark nodded. "Welcome aboard, Taryn! It's good to have you on the team!"

"Thanks," I smiled back, before stepping out.

* * *

Following Mark's advice, I went into the door opposite me. The next room was a shopping area loaded with various weapons and armor. A few patrons walked through the shop, comparing swords and shields or trying on pieces of armor.

I walked up to the counter where the weapons dealer had his back turned, examining a dagger uncomfortably close to his face. "Excuse me," I called. "I'm here to pick my class."

The man spun around and I jumped back in surprise. He could almost have passed as Mark's identical twin, save for the pink hair and moustache. "Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, readers, and all other configurations of being," he announced like a weird radio announcer. "My name is Wilford Warfstache and this is my weapon shop! I'm in charge of sharp objects. Are you ready to choose your class?"

I took a step back to avoid the dagger pointed at me. "What are my options, Wilford?"

"I'm glad you asked, missy," Wilford replied with a waggle of his moustache. "There are three main classes to choose from, each with different stats, pros, and cons, with subclasses for each one. Do you want to be a Warrior, a Defender, or a Mage?"

I thought it over for quite a while. I haven't played many games myself, preferring to watch Mark play them, but in those games, I liked to pick classes that had strong attacks. Mages had some good spells, but their defenses tended to be lower. And Defenders had high defense but low agility. With that, I made my decision. "I'll take the Warrior class."

"Popular choice…" Wilford reached under the counter and handed me a wooden sword, a leather belt, and an iron shield.

"Sweet!" I quickly tied the belt around my waist and hooked the sword onto it. Then I fitted the shield on my back. "I'm ready to destroy those Terrorlings!"

"Good luck!" Wilford stated. "And be sure to come back for an upgrade the next time you're around."

With that done, I left the armory and returned to the auditorium. I found Mark waiting for me on a seat. "Hey, you ready?"

"I think so," I smiled, sitting next to him.

"Great! Now I'll explain things a little bit more." Mark turned to look at me. "Every person has their own Terrorlings. In a dream, they can manifest themselves into entities that are familiar to the victim. In those forms, they can invade the person's head and attack them, slowly scraping at their sanity. Our job is to go into their dreams and save them before the Terrorlings can do too much damage."

Just then, another loud tone rang out through the hub.

"There isn't much time left before the portal opens," Mark noted. "And there's just a couple more things you need to do. Sometimes, I like to do a quick send-off before the shift starts. It can get tough out there, so a few words of encouragement are always good. For now, you'll need to stock up on some supplies." He took out a bag of coins and handed it to me. "Here are some Dream Points™ to get you started."

"Dream Points?" I looked at the coin bag and shook it, hearing the coins jingling inside. "Did you just say trademark out loud?"

Mark looked away for a moment and coughed. "It's our form of currency. You can get supplies from the shop over there." He pointed to another corridor. "Let me know when you're done."

The shop was similar to the armory except it was filled with supplies. I quickly noticed that the shopkeeper was actually an octopus dressed in a blue suit. He waddled awkwardly up to me and made burbling noises that sounded welcoming.

"Hello, shopkeeper who is completely normal in every way." Yes, I did know it was really Octodad, but I didn't want any else to get suspicious.

I used my Dream Points to buy five more Heart Fragments, five Rum and Peps, and two horns known as Markihorns.

Octodad waved his tenta- er, arm and burbled a goodbye.

When I came back to the auditorium, I saw that a crowd was starting to gather. "All set?" Mark asked.

"I'm ready to go, but I still don't know exactly what I'm going to be doing out there," I replied nervously. "I mean, I've hit people with a stick in lacrosse, but I've never been in a proper fight before."

"Don't worry," Mark smiled, patting my shoulder. "New recruits face the easiest enemies on their first shift. Even though everyone's dreams are different, we try to make sure that no one goes in facing enemies they can't handle." His face then became serious. "Tonight, your mission is to help a teenage girl whose family has been going through some pretty tough times. It's been giving her a lot of anxiety and she's starting to feel like a burden. And in this world, things like anxieties can take the form of Terrorlings. They start out small at first, but over time, they can pile up and cause some serious harm."

"So… I have to fight these Terrorlings before then?" I asked.

"Yup. Once she's been rescued, the exit portal will appear to take you back to the Markihub."

A worrying thought crossed my mind. "And… what will happen if I fail?"

"You'll be fine," Mark assured me. "This is your first mission, but I know you can do it. You were chosen for a reason."

Seeing Mark's friendly smile calmed me down a little. "If you say so…"

* * *

Before long, the auditorium was packed with people. Some of them were nervous to go, like me. Others were clearly more experienced and were chatting excitedly about their upcoming mission.

Then Mark stepped up onto the stage. "Alright guys, listen up." The noise didn't quiet down. "Hey now, come on." When the chatter still didn't stop, Mark got impatient. "Hey! SHUT! UP!"

Hearing his yell, the crowd fell silent. I held back a giggle; Mark always had quite a loud voice to get people's attention.

With everyone focused on the stage, Mark cleared his throat. "Now that I have your attention… We all know why we're here. There are dark things out there that are threatening the well-being of a lot of good people. But we're here to stop them. Each and every one of you gathered here has something in your heart that can shine through the darkness, allowing you to reach out to others. Some of you were saved, others were chosen. 'Chosen by what?' you might ask. Well, to be honest… I have no freaking clue.

"I've been doing this for a few years now and I still haven't been able to figure it out. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop fighting. Every night, the darkness comes to attack, but with each person saved, our numbers continue to grow. As many of you already know, helping people is what I'm all about, so I'm taking this as an opportunity to do just that. I want you all to know that even though things will get rough out there, I believe in you and I know you can do it! And if it ever gets too much for you, just know that we're all here for you and you can always ask us for help."

The crowd began to mutter in agreement, and I felt bolstered by Mark's bold words. At that moment, a third ring echoed through the hall. Behind the stage, a swirling vortex appeared in the wall.

"Before you begin your missions, I have one more thing to say to the new recruits," Mark went on. "See that heart everyone has on their sleeves?"

I glanced at the patch on my sleeve, as did many other people.

"That is the mark of a hero," Mark explained. "Not everyone you save will have one, but those that do have a chance to join our ranks in the fight against the Terrorlings. Alright, everyone, good luck out there!"

One by one, the crowd dispersed and ran into the portal, cheering as they went. "Woohoo!" "I'm ready, let's go go go!" "I'm so PEE-HYPED!" "I'll punch those Terrorlings right in the gabba, swear on me mum!" "See you guys on the other side!"

When the last person had jumped through, Mark leapt off the stage towards me. "Let's go!"

"Hang on a second," I said, getting to my feet. "You said that each person had to be saved from the Terrorlings, right? What about me? I wasn't being attacked when you came."

"Well, like I said, sometimes people get chosen," Mark replied. "That's what happened to me too. I don't know exactly how it works, but it was just one of those things where you get the chance to do some good and you've just gotta take it."

I had a strange feeling that there was more to it than that, but I just shrugged. "I mean, I guess? It's kind of like helping a stranger who dropped their books, right?"

"No…" Mark replied with a frown. "But if that helps you understand, then sure!"

"Hey man," I retorted with a scoff. "I've got enough sass on my own. I don't need any from you." I then smiled. "Well, I guess we should get going. Here goes nothing!"

Mark smiled and held up a fist. "You've got this. Taryn!"

With that, we both walked up to the portal and stepped through. My first mission against the Terrorlings had begun!

* * *

**And that's where the first chapter ends.**


	2. Close Encounters of the Slender Kind

**Let's see how our hero's first mission will go!**

* * *

Chapter 2: Close Encounters of the Slender Kind

The moment Mark and I stepped out of the portal, I was absolutely terrified. We were standing in front of an enormous wrought-iron gate, staring into the pitch darkness. Actually, 'dark' wasn't a good description for the forest; since there was no moon or stars in the sky above, it was more like staring into the heart of a black hole. "Whoa!"

"Here, this might help you out." Mark quickly handed me a flashlight that I switched on immediately. The light cut through the shadows like a laser beam, illuminating the edge of a forest.

"So we're in someone else's dream right now?" I asked, recalling Mark's briefing.

"Yep," Mark replied, a smile on his face despite the darkness. "We should try to find them quickly before the Terrorlings do."

With a nod of understanding, I took a few steps forward when – _crack!_

I jumped back in fear, almost falling into Mark's arms. "Uuh, that's probably just a cute, harmless forest creature, right?"

"Well, it could be…" Mark looked into the darkness with narrowed eyes. "Or…" He took a step closer and took my hand. "Or something's probably watching us, waiting for the right moment to MURDERLIZE us!"

I let out a scream and grabbed Mark's arm. Then I heard him chuckle. "I'm kidding. Kind of…"

With a sigh of mild relief, I released my grip. "Are you going to stick with me through my whole first shift?"

"Aw, sick of me already?" Mark teased. "I'll stay with you as long as I can, but I have to get back to my own objectives eventually."

Suddenly, I heard a rustling in the bushes. "Oh… great," Mark breathed. "I think I know where we are."

"What?" I turned to look at him and was stunned when I saw the terror in his eyes. "Where are we?"

"This will certainly be an interesting first mission for you," Mark replied, all humor gone from his voice.

Just then, a scream tore through the darkness and Mark suddenly jerked into action. "Sounds like someone needs help! Let's go!"

It was then that I saw four figures bursting out of the forest. One of them was running very quickly and soon passed by us. I just had time to notice that it was a young girl about my age before she ran off, closely followed by the other three figures. They went by so fast that I didn't see what they looked like.

As they vanished into the darkness, I turned to Mark. "Are those the Terrorlings?"

"Yeah," Mark replied grimly, raising his fists. "These are just little guys, Proxies as we call them, but don't let your guard down."

"Alright then," I said, drawing my sword and shield. "Let's hope I don't die."

We ran into the dark forest until we spotted them again. The three taller figures had cornered the young girl who was huddled by a tree, her arms over her head. "Hey jerks!" I yelled. "Over here!"

The figures spun around to look at me and I gasped. Each of the Proxy Terrorlings wore grey hoodies, jeans, and sneakers, all stained with blood. Two of them had long blonde hair and the other had short brown hair. But their faces were the most terrifying thing about them: pale white and emaciated like corpses, black holes that oozed blood where their eyes should have been, and teeth that were pointed like sharks. Upon seeing Mark and me, the Terrorlings hissed and raised their hands, their bony fingers hooked like claws.

"Watch out!" Mark called as one of the blonde Terrorlings pounced at me, ready to slice my neck out.

At the last second, I raised my shield, hearing her fingers rapping on the metal. With a yell, I pushed forward and shoved the Proxy off me. But while I was distracted, the lone male Proxy lunged out and knocked me to the ground. "I can smell your fear," he hissed, standing over me.

"Get away from her! HABOOSKI!" Mark charged in, punching the Proxy away. As the Terrorling hit the ground, he flashed white and disintegrated into ash.

I quickly struggled to my feet as the remaining Proxies circled around us. "What do we do now?" I asked nervously.

"Don't worry, I got this. Crazy Foot Thing!" Mark swung his leg out in a rapid blur of motion. One of the Proxies stumbled back then jumped forward to attack… but instead of hitting us, she landed on her fellow Terrorling.

"That's done it. I've confused her," Mark cried. "Now's our chance!"

I nodded then ran forward, swinging my sword. The second Terrorling went down quickly thanks to the wounds from her confused friend.

"Taste my Whumpus Whump!" Mark bellowed, bashing the last Proxy into nothing.

"We did it!" I cheered between pants.

"See?" Mark beamed. "I knew you'd be fine!"

"Wait…" I looked up to where the girl had been lying. "She's gone! Did the Terrorlings take her?"

"No, she ran off when they went to attack us," Mark replied. "She must be around here somewhere." Just then, his watch started beeping. "Ah crap, I gotta go. You'll be okay on your own, right?"

"Don't worry, I got this," I reassured him.

"Good to hear," Mark smiled. "You'll have to find that girl. She still needs your help. Oh yeah, what I meant to say before is that we're in the Slender forest."

My confidence drained away at those words. It had been so long since I last watched Mark playing the Slender games, but the memories of those videos had stuck with me for months. "Oh, crap…"

"Yeah, that does sound scary, but I know you can do it," Mark replied comfortingly. "Now, to make it through, you'll need to collect all eight pages. Stick to the path so you don't get lost. Hopefully, you won't have to deal with ol' Slendy himself. But if you do see him, run the other way."

"Find pages, stick to the path, run if you see Slendy," I muttered to myself. "Okay, I got it."

"Great. I believe in you. Good luck!" With that, Mark hit a button on his watch, summoning the portal. Giving a final smile, he stepped through it.

I then turned to face the forest again, flashlight in hand. "Well, now that I'm alone, this place really gives me the creeps… I better find those pages fast!"

Near where we fought the Terrorlings, I spotted an abandoned cabin. I looked around it until I spotted a page pinned to a wall. As I took it, the wind began to pick up, but I ignored it for now.

I went further down the path until I came to a field. My flashlight shone upon a body lying motionless in the grass. For a moment, I feared that I had found the body of the girl who'd run off. "Uh… Hello?" I called out, but I got no answer.

Cautiously, I approached the body and turned it over… and my fears abated. The body was of a young man, not a girl, and there was no heart-mark on the sleeve. "Phew…" I sighed in relief.

Suddenly, the light began to flicker and I looked up… just in time to see a white-skinned figure in a dark suit running towards me. "Oh SHIT!" Remembering Mark's advice, I fled through the grass, not daring to look at the figure.

I ran for what felt like hours until I spotted a lamppost where I stopped to catch my breath. I also found another page at its base and took it immediately. "I should be careful," I muttered to myself. "The more pages I find, the more Slender Man will appear… That's how it worked in the games Mark played."

With that in mind, I continued along the path. I found another page pinned to the door of an abandoned pickup truck, where some Proxy Terrorlings were hanging about. After I easily defeated them, I kept going until I saw a bridge running over a lake.

As I walked alongside the bridge, I spotted a small island where a large crystal lay, glittering pink in the beam of my flashlight. "What is that?" I wondered aloud. I took a step closer and gently lay my hand on it.

Suddenly, the crystal flashed out and I felt a strange power flowing through me. "Whoa," I breathed. "I don't know why, but I suddenly feel the urge to scream at something."

Just then, Slender Man appeared on the water and I ran off again, pausing briefly to grab the fourth page from a dock house by the water's edge. "Alright," I panted once I had a moment to myself. "I'm halfway there."

My earlier theory was proved correct, for Slender Man appeared again and again as I went along the path. Each time, I had to run off for a little while until I was sure he'd gone.

Despite the delays, I found the next page in a cemetery and was almost immediately attacked by a horde of Terrorlings, this one bigger than the last. I was hopelessly outnumbered, but then I remembered the power that the crystal gave me. I took a deep breath and let out an ear-splitting shriek that shook the earth. Against such a powerful scream, the Terrorlings were quickly reduced to ash.

"Sweet!" I cried. "That's gonna be useful in any tough fights."

On I went then through the dark forest, dodging Slender Man whenever he appeared. The sixth page was found stuck to a large boulder, and the seventh was found at the base of a tower in the middle of the forest.

After another few narrow escapes from Slender Man, I found a campsite by the lake, close to my starting point. I saw the final page pinned to a wooden bollard, which bore an image of Dickbutt. "Classy," I scoffed, picking up the page.

At that moment, I heard a loud rusty squeak of hinges. I hurried back to the cabin and discovered that the wrought-iron gate was open. "I guess it unlocked when I found all the pages," I reasoned. "Bit of a roundabout and inexplicable way of doing it, but I'm not complaining."

I stepped through the gates and walked along the path until I heard a clang behind me. Spinning around, I was shocked to see that the gates had slammed shut again. "No going back now," I sighed.

As I turned back, I saw the silhouette of a mansion in the distance. "I don't remember Slender Man having a mansion, but maybe that girl I'm looking for is in there."

With that in mind, I hurried down the path as fast as I could, hoping that I wouldn't be too late…

* * *

**And that's the end of this chapter. Sorry if it was shorter than the last one, but there really wasn't much to tell in this.**


	3. The Slender Mansion

**And we're back again. Let's see what happens in this one.**

* * *

Chapter 3: The Slender Mansion

As I drew closer to the mansion, the details became more apparent in the flashlight's beam. It looked like nobody had lived in there for decades; ivy covered the walls up to the roof, half the windows were boarded up, and the other half had broken glass. All in all, it was the perfect horror movie house where any kind of serial killer or monster would live, waiting for their next victims.

My hand rested on the hilt of my sword as I walked closer to the entrance. Just then, the bush near the door rustled loudly and I spun around, ready to whip out my weapon…

But then Tiny Box Tim burst out of the bush with a smile. "Hey, Taryn!"

"Oh hi, Tim," I sighed in relief. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm just here to warn you about the area you're about to enter," Tim replied. "It's gonna be a bit harder than the forest, so I hope you're ready. Also, take this key. You'll need this to get into the mansion."

So saying, Tim held up a brass key which I took. "Thanks, Tim!"

"Good luck, Taryn," Tim cheered.

Smiling at Tim's optimism, I unlocked the door and went inside.

* * *

Upon entering the mansion, I saw that the inside was no better than the outside of the mansion. Most of the furniture was covered in white sheets and the ones that weren't had a thick layer of dust. The wallpaper was peeling off the walls and several candles were lit, bathing the entrance hall in a soft glow.

Then a loud scream split through the room. "That's her!" I gasped, recognizing it as the girl from earlier. "It sounds like she's in trouble. I gotta find her!"

But then, three Terrorlings jumped out from behind the sheet-covered tables. "Hey, look, another terrified target," one of them hissed. "Let's get her!"

Quickly, I drew out my sword. "Come at me, psychos!"

One of the Terrorlings pounced at me, swinging its claws. At the last second, I raised my sword, blocking the attack, then drove it back with a kick. The other two ran forward from opposite directions and tried to jump me. I blocked one of them with my shield, but the second one pushed me over. As I hit the ground, one of my items dropped out of my belt; a Markihorn.

The first Terrorling came in for another attack, but I dodged it, drank down a Rum and Dr. Pep, and struck it twice with my sword. With a cry, the Terrorling dissolved into ash.

Seeing the other Terrorlings coming in for the kill, I dived out the way and snatched up the Markihorn. Once I jumped onto a chair, I blew through it, letting out a deep bellowing tune.

Suddenly, a strange pink aura swooped in and cut through the two Terrorlings with a glowing sword, taking them out instantly.

"Phew, that was close," I sighed. The attacks had brought my health down, so I ate one of my Heart Fragments. "Now to find that girl, and fast!"

I ran over to the door on my right and tried to open it, but something was blocking it from the other side. So I went through the door on the left. Almost immediately, I was attacked by another trio of Terrorlings, but I quickly took them out with a Manly Screech (that's what I'm calling the screaming attack.)

Finding nothing in that room, I went up the stairs and was attacked by another pair of Terrorlings. Fortunately, I'd become stronger since my last battles so they were quickly destroyed.

In the next room, there weren't any Terrorlings. Instead, a small pink teddy bear sat in the middle of the room. Nervously, I touched the bear and a gentle melody began to play. It was then that I noticed a tag tied around its neck.

"What's this?" I carefully lifted the tag and read it. "'The melody is broken'? I wonder what that means."

I then entered the next room and found six teddies sitting on a shelf; two blue, two yellow, and two pink. But the door to get out was locked and the key wouldn't fit. There was a sheet of paper on the side of the shelf that read "Put it back together."

"Hmmm, looks like we've got ourselves a puzzle," I reasoned.

I touched one of the blue bears and it played a short little tune. After touching each of the bears in turn, I suddenly realized the puzzle. "They're playing a clip of the other bear's song! So, I need to play it in the right order to progress."

After going back and playing the first bear's tune again to memorize it, I went through each of the bears in turn until I heard a click from the door. Seconds later, a strange childlike laugh ran out and I tensed up. "I am NOT okay with that!" I yelped, running through the door.

The moment I entered the room, I spotted a pack of Terrorlings gathered in a corner. Then I heard a terrified voice cry out from within the crowd, "J-Just… L-Leave me alone!"

One of the Terrorlings gave a grating laugh. "Come now, we all know that you'd never be able to get rid of us."

I heard a loud sniff followed by a sob.

"Aw, what's the matter?" the lead Terrorling taunted. "Are you scared?"

"Whatcha gonna do? Cry about it?" gloated another Terrorling.

The Terrorlings parted for a moment, allowing me to get my first proper look at the girl. She looked about a few years younger than me with short black hair highlighted with purple tips. Her eyes were closed behind her red-rimmed glasses. She wore a purple skirt and a purple sweater with a pink heart on its left sleeve. "I'm… n-not…" she struggled to say.

Then I heard a dark voice echoing around the hall. _All you do is weigh people down! You can't do anything! You're pathetic, that's what you are!_

Against the onslaught of insults, the girl let out a gasp and then collapsed on the floor. That was when I knew that I'd seen enough.

"Hey!" I bellowed, stamping my foot hard. As the Terrorlings spun around to face me, I drew out my sword and raised my shield. "Get away from her, you bunch of no-good freaks!"

"Oh look, a new half-ass hero," the second Terrorling scoffed.

The leader stepped forward, licking her lips. "Why don't you run away, little girl? No one wants you here!"

For a brief moment, I felt my hands shaking, but I clenched my weapons tighter. "Funny. I was just about to say the same thing to you!"

With a chorus of hisses like angry cats, the Terrorlings attacked. I tried to swing my sword, but the leader swiped its claws out and knocked my weapon away. The others' ruthless strikes at my shield drove me back towards the wall as they attempted to pin me. Looking around, I saw a table laden with books and other creepy paraphernalia.

Thinking fast, I pushed the Terrorlings back with my shield then jumped onto the table and snatched up some books. "Hey, skull-faces! Think fast!"

One by one, I hurled the books at the Terrorlings, hitting some of them. When one got close to me, I grabbed a candle and flung it onto its clothes, setting them alight. The Terrorling screamed in pain as it burned before dissolving into a pile of ash.

As the remaining three Terrorlings surged forward in anger, I grabbed an ornate dagger and jumped to safety, moments before they smashed into the table. My eyes darted around the room until I saw a giant chandelier hanging from the ceiling and an idea came to mind.

By then, the Terrorlings had noticed that I wasn't among the remains of the table and had now turned around to approach me. I waited until they were just under the chandelier then I hurled my dagger out. The Terrorlings ducked the apparent attack, watching it soar over where their heads used to be. "Ha, you missed!" the leader gloated.

But that had been what I'd hoped would happen because the dagger sliced through the rope holding up the chandelier. With a smile, I pointed above the Terrorlings. "Did I?"

Confused, they looked up and saw the chandelier dropping towards them. At the last minute, I jumped back to safety, but the Terrorlings weren't so lucky. With a deafening CRASH, the chandelier shattered on the floor, crushing the unfortunate Proxies under it. When the dust settled, all that was left was a pile of gold and glass fragments, and a few shreds of black clothing that quickly dissolved into nothing.

With a sigh of relief, I picked up my sword and ran over to the girl. Kneeling down next to her, I gently shook her awake. "Hey, are you okay?"

The girl groaned and opened her eyes, gasping upon seeing me. "It's alright," I assured her. "They're gone. But we need to get out of here. Can you stand up?"

"I think so…" With great care, she slowly pulled herself to her feet.

"Great," I beamed. "Then let's get away from this place."

"Y-yeah, I don't like it here," the girl agreed.

I pushed some boxes away from the door and opened it, finding that it led back to the entrance hall. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

As soon as we were outside, the girl sat down on the grass. "Can we rest for a moment?" she asked. "I'm still tired from those… things' attacks."

"No problem," I replied, slumping down next to her. "So, now that we're not fearing for our lives, I think I should introduce myself." I held out my hand. "I'm Taryn."

"Oh, my name's V-Vicky," the girl smiled, shaking my hand.

"Nice to meet you, Vicky," I beamed back. Then I became more serious. "Listen, I know this is a lot to take in. Believe me, I'm still kind of mind-blown by all of it myself, but once we get back to the hub, I'll try my best to explain."

Vicky looked nervous as she nodded. "Okay…"

I immediately picked up on her fear. "Is something wrong?"

Vicky turned away, tears filling her eyes. "I'm still scared. I'm sorry!"

"Why? There's nothing to be sorry about. You were just being attacked by monsters. I'd be more concerned if you weren't afraid."

"I just…" Vicky let out a sob and the tears flowed freely down her face. "I'm always scared! All I did was cower like a weakling while you fought those things off!"

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "So? That's what I came here to do."

Vicky covered her face with her hands, trying to hold back the tears. "I was so weak and useless back there. I'm so sorry!"

After watching her cry for a few moments, I put my hand on her shoulder. "Vicky, it's okay. Just because you couldn't fight them doesn't mean that you're useless. You shouldn't have to fight them at all."

With another sniff, Vicky lowered her hands and faced me with her sorrowful green eyes. "But…"

"But nothing," I cut in kindly. "You're not weak just because you needed help. It just makes you human."

Vicky wiped her eyes and smiled at me. "I guess you're right. Thanks, Taryn."

"You're welcome." With that, I stood up and helped Vicky to her feet. "Come on, let's get going. Something doesn't feel right."

As quickly as we could, I led Vicky back down the path, through the wrought-iron gate and into the forest. Suddenly, Vicky gasped and pointed through the trees. "Is that-?!"

I spun around and just caught a glimpse of a white-skinned man with no face wearing a black suit. "Uh-oh!" I gulped. "We gotta run! Take my hand!"

Vicky quickly obeyed and I dragged her down the path. "We have to find the portal!"

But as we ran through the forest, Slender Man appeared in front of us again. We turned to run down a different path, but after a few miles, he popped up in front of us again. Quickly, I led Vicky down another direction. "Mark, where are you? Help us!"

Just then, I heard Mark's voice calling to me and I turned to see him waiting by the path. "Hey, Taryn, you did it! I knew you could-"

"GET IN THE PORTAL!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Whoa!" Mark cried, raising his hands in a calming manner. "Why are we screaming?"

"JUST DO IT!" I practically demanded.

But just as we were about to reach him, Slender Man suddenly appeared in front of us, cutting us off from Mark. Vicky screamed in terror and pulled out of my grip. I was frozen in fear as four black tentacles emerged from Slender Man's back, writhing and coiling like angry snakes. He then raised a ghostly hand towards me…

Suddenly, he fell back with a hiss and turned away, and that was when I saw a knife sticking out of the seat of his trousers. Mark ducked past him and stood at my side. "You may be scary, Slendy, but nothing's scarier than the Crazed Butt-Stabber!"

Despite not having eyes or a mouth, Slender Man did not look happy. Mark gritted his teeth and raised his fists. "Alright, let's get this over with! Whumpus Whump!" With that, he lunged forward and whacked Slender Man in the chest.

"Watch out!" Vicky called, but her cry came too late. Mark was suddenly grabbed by two of Slender's tentacles, one on his leg and one on his arm.

At that moment, my fear dissipated and I drew my sword. "Let him go!" I yelled, slicing through the tentacles like vines and freeing Mark.

Slender lashed out with his remaining tentacles, throwing Mark and me back. "What do we do?" I asked.

"Just hold him off for a little longer," Mark cried. "I need to power up my special attack!"

I quickly dodged one of Slender's tentacles then jumped in to attack with a Power Pierce, striking him three times. But then, he grabbed my arm with his other tentacles. I tried to pull free, but his grip was too strong and in seconds, I felt my energy drain away.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Mark pulled out a katana and went into a fighting pose. "Prepare your backside, Slendy! Markislash!"

With that, Mark leapt into the air and swung his sword around, slashing at Slender Man once, twice, three times. The attacks cut through Slender Man, severing his remaining tentacles and hacking his suit in places. With a final exhale, the terrifying being collapsed to the ground and burst into a pile of ashes.

"Whoa…" Vicky breathed.

Mark then sheathed his katana and summoned the portal. "Now's our chance! Let's go!" Grabbing Vicky and me by the arms, he pulled us in…

* * *

**And that's the end of our hero's first mission!**


	4. Interval 1: School & Friends

**After the excitement of the last few chapters, it's time for a breather.**

* * *

Interval 1: School & Friends

_Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep! _My eyes snapped open at the sound and I looked at my alarm clock. 7:00 am! I quickly slapped the off button, silencing its cry.

As I sat up and stretched, I looked around, taking in the familiar sights of my bedroom. There was my wardrobe, my computer, my computer chair, and my desk where I did my homework.

Rubbing my eyes, I climbed out of bed. "That was a really weird dream," I muttered to myself. "I wish I could remember it…"

Now I know what you're thinking: how could I be telling this story if I kept forgetting my dreams? Well, there is a good reason for that, but I won't get into it just yet, mainly because it might spoil the rest of the tale.

Still half-asleep, I was awoken by a loud bark. "Whoa!" I yelped before looking down. At my feet sat my beloved dog, Steve. Yeah, that's right; I actually have a pet named Steve.

"Hello, Steve!" I said, kneeling down and rubbing his ears. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good little doggo?"

"Taryn, come for breakfast!"

Hearing my mom's call, I got up again. "Okay, I just need to get dressed first!"

"Well, hurry up, you don't want to be late for school!"

That's right, today's Monday. Normally, I would be excited to go and see my friends again. But something was different today. I felt somewhat weary, as if I'd been in a battle or two.

Nevertheless, I got dressed and went down to breakfast, hoping the day would get better…

* * *

I sat in the cafeteria at lunchtime, deep in thought. The morning had passed in such a blur that it was difficult to remember some of it. I knew that we had German, which was like my favorite class right now, but for some reason, I had trouble focusing on my lesson. After that, I don't know what else I did today.

"Hey, Taryn, is this seat taken?"

I looked up to see my best friend waiting by the table, tray in hand. "Oh, hey, Sarah. No, you can sit down."

With a smile, Sarah sat down next to me, her long red hair brushing the side of my face. Sarah and I had been friends since we came to high school. We'd bonded over a mutual love of lacrosse and Markiplier videos; in fact, she was the one who introduced me to Jacksepticeye's content. Before, I'd only seen Jack in Mark's Prop Hunt videos, but once I'd learned that he'd played Happy Wheels and Turbo Dismount, I subscribed to him instantly.

Sarah took a mouthful of macaroni then turned to me. "What's been going on, T? You looked kind of out of it today. You didn't even wave to me when I said hello."

"Yeah, sorry about that," I sighed. "I had a weird dream last night…"

"Really?" Sarah frowned. "Don't tell me you watched Mark play a horror game before bed. I keep warning you not to."

"No, nothing like that. It's just…" I sighed again and shook my head. "I don't know how to describe it, but it's all I've been thinking about."

With nothing more to say, I took another bite out of my sandwich. Mom always packed my lunch because she'd read some crappy internet rumor about cafeteria food and didn't want me getting sick. I never complained about it; she made the best PB and J sandwiches ever and she always gave me a Hersey's Kiss on Mondays to remind me that she loved me even when I'm at school.

While I was eating, I heard footsteps coming, but I didn't look up. Then Sarah spoke to me. "Well, I know someone who can take your mind off your dream."

"Who's that?" I mumbled with my mouth full.

And that was when a voice I hadn't heard in months spoke up. "Hey girls, you got room for one more?"

I quickly swallowed and looked up in surprise. "Connor?!"

"Hi Taryn, it's been a long time," Connor beamed, placing his tray next to Sarah. Connor was another good friend of mine since grade school. He too shared my love for Markiplier after I let him watch his Highlight videos. But two years ago, his family had to move to the UK, meaning he had to leave. Sometimes, his dad would come over on a business trip for a couple of weeks, so Connor was able to visit my school and get to know Sarah. But I hadn't heard any news of his coming today.

Jumping from my seat, I grabbed Connor in a bear hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad's going to a few conferences in New York, Denver, and LA," Connor explained. "They're gonna take a week each to get through, so he decided to let us come back for two months."

"That's so cool!" I said excitedly.

For the rest of lunch, we chatted for a while, catching up on our activities. When the bell rang, Connor left with Sarah to do their classes.

At the end of the day, we met up outside the school and started our walk into town.

"So, Sarah's telling me that you had a dream last night," Connor said. "Can you remember anything from it?"

My smile from earlier faded as the older topic resurfaced. "I honestly have no idea, and it's really pissing me off."

"Why?" Sarah asked. "I mean, isn't that what usually happens with dreams?"

"I know, but I feel like something important happened in that dream. All I can recall was that it got really dark at one point then there was this burst of light. And that's it."

Connor paused in his steps and turned to me. "You know, Taryn, I'm no psychiatrist or anything, but I read a few things about dreams like this. Darkness usually represents a fear of the unknown and trying to find your way out can make you experience feelings of danger. And seeing a bright light indicates a ray of hope, guiding you through those dark times. Maybe you're facing some deep and grim feelings in your heart and you need someone or something good to lead you."

Looking back on it now, Connor wasn't entirely wrong in his interpretation. But if he'd known what I would face in the next few days, he would have become a psychic. But again, spoilers.

"I guess that makes sense," I decided.

"Come on, Taryn, there's no need to be mopey," Connor smiled. "I have just the cure for that sourpuss face: a nice heaping scoop of Ben and Jerry's!"

Hearing this, I perked up immediately. "Yeah! Choc-chip cookie dough, here I come!"

"Make mine a non-dairy," Sarah said. "I'm lactose intolerant, remember?"

So all in all, while my mind was still distracted by my dream, at least this Monday ended on a good note…

* * *

Nightfall saw me back at home, in front of my computer, watching another Markiplier playlist. Mondays were usually when he posted a Reading Your Comments video, but nothing came out from him today, so instead, I rewatched all the episodes of Five Nights at Freddy's. By the time I'd completed the fourth game, it was close to 11 at night.

As I switched off my computer, I looked over at my homework on the desk. "Damn it, I forgot to sort these out." I was then hit by a bad case of the yawns. "Oh well, I'll have to do it tomorrow."

I carefully climbed into bed, trying not to disturb Steve who was lying on the duvet. "Good night, Steve, my good little pup."

With a final yawn, I cuddled up in my blankets, hoping for a peaceful sleep…

* * *

**And so we've reached the end of the first interval. I thought I'd create a bit of a story around the main character's diary entries to add a little context.**


	5. A New Partner

**A new adventure awaits brave Taryn, but this time, she won't be alone!**

* * *

Chapter 4: A New Partner

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a place both unusual and very familiar. "What?" I gasped. "Where am I?"

"Hey, welcome back!" I heard a voice call out. "You did fantastically yesterday!"

I turned around and stared in amazement. "Mark? Wait…" At that moment, I was suddenly hit by a surge of recollection, my adventure last night coming back to me. "I remember everything now. How could I have forgotten all of that?"

"Don't worry, that's perfectly normal," Mark reassured me. "It is still a dream, remember? People hardly ever remember what they dreamed, and even when they do, it's often vague and fleeting."

I nodded slowly. "Well, I guess I have to apologize for not believing you last night…"

"Hey, don't sweat it," Mark beamed, patting my shoulder.

"I have to admit, this is still super unreal to me." I looked around the Markihub, seeing the people chatting merrily away. "I still don't understand anything about this place, but I'll take the chance I have to help as many people as possible!"

Mark smiled and raised his fist. "That's the spirit, Taryn!"

At that moment, I heard the deep ring of the bell echoing through the hub. "I guess I'd better hurry, huh?"

"Seems like it," Mark agreed. "Your first priority would be to update your class and get a better weapon. You'll know who to turn to for that. When you've finished your preparations, meet me in the Training Centre." With that, he turned and walked off.

I went straight to the weapon shop and strolled up to Wilford. "Good evening, young lady," Wilford announced. "Would you care for a stabby object?"

"Well, I'm actually here to update my class," I replied, placing my weapons on the counter.

"Ah, but of course, my dear," Wilford cried. "Every fighter that comes here after their first mission gains new levels to their specific classes. As a Warrior, you can choose to upgrade to either a Sword Dancer or a Soldier. Sword Dancers can channel magic in their swords to inflict… incredibly strong attacks. They also have a higher defense against magic attacks. Meanwhile, Soldiers focus on a more direct physical assault. Their defense and attack also get stronger. What say you, missy?"

I thought over both options for a good while. While I had been doing well against the weaker Terrorlings, Slender Man proved to be a tougher challenge. I had a feeling that in this line of work, I'd be facing much stronger enemies, and I won't always have Mark to help me out. So with that in mind, I made my decision. "I'll take Sword Dancer; some magic attacks will be helpful to have."

"Very well, milady." Wilford took my old sword and replaced it with a new sword with a crescent blade. "This beauty is the Oshirinoken which, in some fancy foreign language, means… 'Ass-piercer'. Use it wisely and it will mince your enemies into sauerkraut." He then took out some new shoes and a steel shield. "And here is some armor to accommodate your new sub-class. Good luck! And be sure to come back for an upgrade next time you're around."

Once I'd put on my shoes, I spent a few minutes testing my new sword. It had a good weight when I swung it and its blade looked sharp enough to cut through anything. "I'm definitely testing this bad boy out in the Training Centre."

As I sheathed my weapon, I heard the door open. I turned and was surprised to see Vicky standing at the entrance. "Hey, there you are!"

Hearing my voice, Vicky looked around. "You?! W-what?" she gasped. "So… this is really real?"

"Yeah, it's real," I replied, walking up to her. "Crazy, I know. I'm still in shock myself. But now you'll be helping save other people just like I helped you!"

"M-me?" Vicky looked frightened at the thought. "No, I-I couldn't… I don't want to hold anyone back. And what if I mess up? What if I get scared? What if I-"

"Vicky, calm down!" I grabbed Vicky's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "It's okay to be scared of what might happen. When I came to save you, I was also scared."

"You were?" Vicky asked.

"Of course, because I thought I would be too late. But I wasn't; I saved you, Vicky. And now you can save someone else."

Despite my words, Vicky still looked apprehensive. "Tell you what, how about you become my partner?" I offered. "We would make an awesome team!"

"Y-you think so?" Vicky breathed.

"I know so," I replied with a nod. "Now, first off, you should pick a class. Go talk to that guy, he'll get you set up."

Vicky looked at the direction I was pointing and her eyes widened. "Is that…?"

"Yup, just watch out for his dagger," I joked. "Meanwhile, I'll restock on items and all that. See you in a bit."

As I turned to leave, Vicky called out, "Hey Taryn?"

I paused to look at her, seeing her smile. "Thanks for everything."

I smiled back and winked. "No prob." With that, I left her to choose her class…

* * *

As I walked through the meeting area, I spotted someone waiting by the stage, someone wearing a familiar red shirt. "Oh my gosh," I cried, running up to him. "Hi Wade! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, uh, hi," Wade replied. "I'm here to help Mark on his mission tonight."

"Really? That's awesome! Do you come here often?"

"That depends. Sometimes I like a change of pace and to hang out with Mark- Uh, I mean…" Wade glanced around shiftily. "I mean, not Mark. Puh, that guy is the worst!"

"I heard that!" Mark shouted from across the hall.

I laughed at that. "Well, good luck with that. See ya!"

I then entered the shop where I saw Octodad… doing some weird dance on the floor. "Um, am I disrupting something?"

With a burbling cry, Octodad got to his feet and turned to me, making more burbles.

"You've got new stock, huh?" I somehow translated. "Okay, let me see 'em."

Octodad staggered behind the counter and carefully took out three boxes. One had a ton of heart-shaped treats, one was full of no-name brand cinnamon whiskey, and one had hundreds of bottles of hot sauce. He pointed to each of them, burbling an explanation.

"Okay, let's see if I got this right," I said. "Those hearts are a better version of Heart Fragments, the whiskey's a better version of Rum and Dr Pep, and the Hot Sauce revives a fallen ally." Octodad nodded. "Great, let's do a deal."

I quickly discovered that I had more Dream Points in my purse than my first time. Deciding to save the question for Mark, I bought five Full Hearts, five Whiskeys, and five Hot Sauces. I also bought some Throwing Daggers and three extra Markihorns just in case. "Pleasure doing business with you."

With my stocks full, I left the shop but I'd hardly taken a step away before there was a series of banging and crashing. Quickly, I peeked through the door and was surprised to see the shop was a complete shambles. "Uh… what just happened?"

Octodad shook his tentac- I mean, arms in a manner that seemed to say "Nothing." As he did, I noticed the box of Full Hearts stuck on one arm, spilling its contents everywhere.

"Are you sure?" I cried. "It looks like a tornado came through here!"

In reply, Octodad burbled in a way that seemed insistent, while smashing a shelf down with the box.

"…Okay," I murmured before slowly closing the door again. Better to leave this mess for him or Mark to clean up.

I then saw a red-haired girl coming out of a room opposite me. "Excuse me," I called to her. "What's that room over there?"

"That's the File Room," the girl replied. "Mark says that you can research the Terrorlings and other things in there."

"That sound cool," I said. "Thanks."

The File Room, I discovered, was similar to a section of the library. Some people were sitting at a table, either reading books or playing on a tablet. Others were scanning the bookshelves, looking for a specific topic. I then saw that, in the middle of the room, another Markiplier lookalike was standing stiff as a mannequin. This copy was wearing a blue shirt with a holographic rainbow G on it.

One of the browsers, a boy in a green hoodie, approached me. "I see you've spotted ol' Google-plier."

"Oh yeah, him…" I suddenly remembered the Google IRL sketch Mark did with Matt. "Is he… safe?"

"Oh, perfectly safe," the boy replied. "He answers any question you ask him. Just… don't bring up shutting off his inhibitors. Mark warned us that he might go kill-crazy again."

Slowly I walked up to Google-plier. "Um… Okay, Google."

With a tone, Google-plier robotically turned his head to me. "Hello, human," he said in a deep monotone. "Please deliver your order quickly. I am currently in the middle of plotting the destruction of mankind. Do you have a command for me?"

Still a bit unsure of him, I decided to go for a simple question. "How did I earn so many Dream Points?"

"Another newcomer, great," Google-plier grunted. "Every time you defeat a Terrorling or boss, your fight efforts are meticulously calculated by an advanced algorithm to ensure the most effective means of remuneration. Then when you next return to the Markihub, said remuneration gets added into your account and the cycle begins again."

"So basically, the more Terrorlings I fight, the better I get paid?" I summarized.

"Yes," he replied through gritted teeth. "Now if you don't have any other commands, be on your way."

"Alright," I said, leaving the File Room.

* * *

I returned to the Armory just in time to see Vicky come out. As I waved her over, I heard the bell again. "That's the second chime. We've got some time to kill before our next mission. So what class did you pick?"

"I picked Mage," Vicky replied, holding up a wooden staff. "That's what I usually pick in RPGs."

"Great choice!" I beamed. "Now let's go find Mark and ask him about our mission."

We quickly found him in the Training Centre, finishing his tutorial with two teenage boys. "Okay, now go across the hall to the Armory. Get your weapons from the arms dealer then meet me in the hall."

"Thanks, Mark!" the boys called before running out.

Vicky and I then walked up to him. "Hey Mark," Vicky called.

"Oh, hi," Mark said. "You must be Vicky!"

"I'd like her to be my partner for my next mission, whatever it may be," I told him.

"That's good to hear. You'll need each other's backs for this one." Mark became serious again. "There's another person trapped in their nightmare. This one is happening in a town at the edge of a big forest. A group of Terrorlings are surrounding an area in the town, so I'm betting that's where they are."

"How do you know about this anyway?" I asked.

"Tiny Box Tim scouts out the nightmares as they appear. Whenever he finds someone, he reports back to me. That's how I knew where to find you, Taryn."

"But you can't go there now because you're doing a mission with Wade," I recalled.

"Exactly," Mark agreed. "That's where you two come in. Just like last time, you'll have to make your way through the forest, get into town, and fight any Terrorlings you come across."

"Terrorlings?" Vicky gulped. "Are those the monsters that chased me last night?"

"That's right," Mark replied. "They are the manifestations of your target's deepest fears, the monsters in your dreams. But I should warn you, not all Terrorlings look the same."

"So, those hooded bad guys in Vicky's dream…?" I asked.

"…Is just one of their forms," Mark concluded. "Terrorlings can take whatever form they need in order to attack their victims."

I swapped a worried look with Vicky. "So we won't know what they'll look like in each person's dreams until we get there?"

"Well, for some Terrorlings, just watch for pretty much anyone that doesn't look friendly. There's a good chance they're not. Sometimes, they can appear as pure blackness; that happens when a Terrorling is regenerating. We call those Shadowlings."

"Oh boy…" Vicky rubbed her hands together nervously.

"Don't worry, Vicky," I said, patting her on the back. "I'll be by your side all the way."

"Taryn's right," Mark agreed. "As long as you two stick together, I'm sure you'll be just fine! On that note, you'd better head back to the main room. The third chime will go off at any moment. Good luck, girls!"

"Thanks, Mark," I beamed. "Come on, Vicky. We don't want to miss the portal."

As we sat in the main room, waiting for the next chime, Vicky tapped my shoulder. "Hey, Taryn?"

"Yeah?" I replied, looking at her.

"Is it just me, or is this whole scenario a lot like a video game?"

"Whaaat? Naah…" I then frowned. "Wait, is it?"

"I mean it's just interesting because…" Vicky looked over her shoulder. "You know that guy we were just talking to, Mark? You know he's that YouTuber, Markiplier, right?"

"Of course, I've watched a lot of his videos. In fact, I actually met Tiny Box Tim when I first got here."

"I'm kind of a big fan too! But he is a Let's Player after all, so the whole video game theme fits." Vicky looked up as a group of teens walked past us, including the two boys we saw talking to Mark. "Do you think everyone here knows who he is?"

"Y'know, I haven't really thought about it," I admitted. Just then, we heard the third chime ring. "Well, we can work that out later. Our shift is starting!"

We ran up to the stage just as the portal opened. "You ready, Vicky?"

"Ready as I'll ever be!" Vicky cheered.

Without another word, we jumped into the portal, ready to face our next challenge…

* * *

As we stepped out into our location, Vicky suddenly stumbled with a cry. I was quickly at her side to catch her. "I got ya! The landing's a little jarring, but you get used to it."

"Thanks," Vicky sighed, getting to her feet. "So where are we?"

"We're in our target's dream, I think." With Vicky upright, I took a proper look around. Just like last time, we were standing in the middle of a forest, but this wasn't as dark as Slender's forest. Instead, the land was bathed in the gentle warmth of a morning sun. A thick mist curled around the tree trunks like ghostly wraiths. "It's kinda pretty here, isn't it?"

"Yeah, not as scary as the one in my dream," Vicky agreed.

Suddenly, a dark portal burst open before us. Vicky gasped and jumped back, while I grabbed the hilt of my Oshirinoken, ready for trouble.

As we watched, a figure stepped out of the portal. He was dressed in a white pinstriped suit and a purple tie. His eyes were hidden under the brim of a white fedora, but he had the smile of a sleazy businessman about to swindle some poor sucker out of their life savings. "Good day, girls!" he spoke in the tone befitting said businessman. "You have been hand-selected by me, Dr. Money, to join my exclusive program. How lucky you are."

"Stay back, Vicky," I hissed from the corner of my mouth. "I've got a bad feeling about this guy."

"Now, now, girls, don't worry," Dr. Money reassured us, not too convincingly. "You are going to be worth quite a hefty sum. Why don't you just come along with me? I only need you to lend me a hand… or two. Maybe three. Or how about a kidney? You really only need one anyway."

"I have a better idea," I snapped. "How about no? Okay, bye!"

I looked around in time to see Vicky backing away slowly, and apparently, Dr. Money had seen it too. "Where do you think you're going? Don't you want to make a pretty penny? It'll only take a minute."

Quickly, I grabbed Vicky's hand. "Let's get away from this creep!"

Vicky nodded and we ran off, pushing Dr. Money aside. I looked behind to yell at him, but then I saw him holding something sharp. As he threw it, I realized that the thing was aimed right at my partner! "Vicky! Watch out!"

Without thinking, I pushed Vicky aside, knocking her into a ditch. A second later, I felt a painful jab in my right arm and I suddenly felt dizzy. I just had time to see a syringe sticking out of my shoulder before I collapsed to the ground.

"TARYN!" I heard Vicky scream. "You… you monster!"

My vision was starting to blur, but I still managed to see Vicky run off into the forest. I then saw Dr. Money walking up to me, following by some strange shadows.

"Don't bother, I have what I need," I heard him speak, though his voice was starting to fade. "Your services are needed elsewhere. Go deal with…"

The last words faded with my vision. My last thoughts were of Vicky, hoping she would be safe before the world faded to black…

* * *

**Uh-oh! What terrible fate awaits our heroes? Will Vicky be able to summon the courage to save her friend? Find out in the next chapter.**


	6. Letters of Loneliness

**For this chapter, there will be two points of view; one from Taryn and one being narrated by Taryn telling us what happened to Vicky.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Letters of Loneliness

The first thing I felt when I woke up was a terrible headache, like woodpeckers were pounding at my skull. I also felt a cold hard surface under me like a slab of concrete. Slowly, I opened my eyes, only to flinch at the sudden brightness, which didn't help my headache.

"Uugh… Where…" My voice came out in a croak.

Finally, my eyes adjusted to the light and I carefully got to my feet. I had been lying on the floor of a room best described as a prison cell. The only pieces of furniture were an old bed and a beautifully carved wooden table. Two posters were plastered on the wall; one of a creepy face on a green background, the other of a black and white heart.

I then remembered the events that transpired before I was knocked out. "Vicky? Hello?" I called through the door's barred window. "Where am I?"

Just then, an envelope slid out through a slot in the door, but I didn't see who had sent it. Quickly I opened it and took out a letter, written in formal font on white paper.

_Hello there. It's me, Doctor Money. As you know, you have been specially chosen for my exclusive program. Unfortunately, you destroyed my last vial of the antidote. It seems that only you will be getting the special treatment, the very _expensive _special treatment. But you see, you are very important to me. You're worth every penny._

"I don't like the sound of that," I muttered, tossing the letter aside in disgust. "I gotta get out of here, and fast!"

I pushed against the door, but it didn't budge an inch, even when I rammed into it. "Welp, that's not gonna work. I'll have to wait for Vicky."

With a sigh, I sat on the bed, which wasn't that comfortable. I had only been sitting for a few moments when another envelope came, followed by a small device.

"What's this?" I picked up the device, which looked like an old Game Boy. Above the screen were the words 'DR. MONEY ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM'. I pressed a button and the screen lit up. "It still works. Neat!"

I then took the envelope, which was bright purple, and opened it. The letter was also purple and written in neat handwriting.

_It's me, Vicky! I hope you get this letter. I'm so sorry, it was my fault you got captured. But don't worry, I'm coming for you! You're in the tower thing, right? See you soon._

"Vicky…" I sighed in relief. "Thank God she's safe! I gotta write back to her. There must be a pen and paper somewhere."

I looked around the room, but aside from an old cake on the table and some confetti on the floor, there was nothing I could use to write. "What the hell? There's hardly anything in here at all." I sank to the floor and pulled my knees up to my chin. "This room is so barren… It feels… Lonely…"

With a sigh, I glanced out the window, wondering what Vicky was doing now. _So much for me staying by her side the whole time__…__ Sorry, Vicky._

* * *

I wasn't with Vicky much for this part of our story, but she did tell me what happened when it was over.

After I was knocked out, she'd kept running for a long time until she was certain that she wasn't being followed. She then found a boulder where some paper, an envelope and a pen rested on top. For some reason, she decided to write a letter to me. After she put it in the envelope, she had looked back to see if Dr. Money was chasing her, and when she looked back, the envelope was gone.

"Weird," she murmured. "Well, I hope Taryn gets my letter."

Climbing onto the boulder, she looked around to get her bearings. Beyond the trees, she could see the skyline of a nearby city, the main feature being a tall tower reaching to the heavens. "It's so far away," she sighed. "But I can't leave Taryn there all alone. I have to make it to the city before nightfall; I'd never find my way in the dark."

Suddenly, she heard a strange noise in the forest, like custard splashing onto a tiled floor. As she turned, she saw two black puddles of goop sliding like slugs towards her boulder. Then the puddles bulged upwards, each revealing glowing white eyes and sharp-toothed grins.

"Oh no, those must be the Terrorlings!" Vicky gasped. "What do I do?"

Then she remembered the staff Wilford had given her, and the advice he'd told her. "That there staff has some powerful magic. At your current level, you can only cast ice, fire, and simple healing spells. But with more practice, you will learn some pretty tough spells for any challenge."

Taking a breath, she took out her staff and pointed it at the Gooplings who were starting to ooze up the boulder. "Here goes nothing… Ice Blast!"

She gasped and closed her eyes, feeling a burst of cold air shooting out of her staff. When she opened them again, the Gooplings were completely encased in ice, inches from her feet. "I… I did it?" she breathed, surprised at her strength. "That was too close though. I can't do this without Taryn."

Jumping down from the boulder, she set off into the forest again, holding her staff for protection. "Oh boy, moving around like this is so much easier in games. Maybe I should rest somewhere and write another letter…"

After a short while, she found another set of writing material on a stump and she sat down to write the letter. "I sure hope Taryn's getting these. She hasn't replied to my-"

Suddenly, she paused her writing, dropping the pen on her lap. "Hang on… Letters? Tower? Dr. Money? Oh my God, this is Presentable Liberty!" She ran a hand through her hair as she put the pieces together. "Of course… if Taryn's in the tower, that makes her the protagonist and I'm Salvadore, which means that our target must be Charlotte!"

Once she'd figured it out, a fresh wave of panic washed over her. "We've got to get to them before it's too late! I'd better write this down for Taryn."

With new resolve, she finished writing the letter and left it on the stump. This time, she didn't even wait, she just kept running through the forest.

Thankfully, no other Terrorlings attacked her, but she soon faced a different problem. Looking up, she saw the sun sinking over the treetops. "It's getting dark, but I can't stop now," she panted. "I gotta hurry."

With that in mind, she quickened her pace and ran further down the path…

* * *

Compared to Vicky's stressful journey, I was bored stiff waiting in my cell. I passed the time playing games on the Entertainment System and practising my attacks on my Oshirinoken.

I'd just finished another level of my game when Vicky's next letter came. _It's me again. I ran into some monsters like the ones we fought last night, but I managed to defeat them. I can't fight very well, especially on my own. I miss you so much__…__ Just hang in there! I'll be there soon._

"'Just hang in there'?" I scoffed. "What the hell am I supposed to do then, sit here and do nothing?" I then sighed; I was giving Vicky too little credit. "It doesn't sound like she's got a plan either. But maybe I can-"

But then another letter came through the slot, this one in a green envelope. "Who's this from?" I wondered.

When I opened it, I saw that this letter was scrawled in shaky handwriting. "Hmm, it's not signed, but I bet it's from whoever we're looking for."

_Hello__…__ it's me. I'm really fucking bored. Is anyone out there? I mean there's probably no one reading this, but hey, a little denial never hurt anybody. Right?_

"Well, at least they're trying for humor, I'll give 'em that," I chuckled glumly.

I then spotted a little bug scuttling around the confetti. "Oh, hi there," I smiled. "I didn't see you earlier. What's your name?"

Naturally, the bug didn't reply.

"That's okay, I'll come up with something," I decided. "I bet Mark would name you Tiny Bug Tim or something because he names everything like that. Well, that or BubbleButt." I gasped. "BubbleBug! How's that for a name?"

Again, the bug said nothing as it crawled under the table.

"You're right, I'll just stick with Tiny Bug Tim." Yep, this was where my boredom was at; talking to an insect and expecting a reply.

* * *

Fortunately, by that stage, Vicky had finally left the forest and reached the city. Now she was making her way through the silent streets, still focused on the tower. The flickering streetlights above her did little to brighten the shadows, but the sun was still bright enough for her to see her way.

"This place is so desolate," she whispered to herself. "The town looks empty, and there's not a soul around. It's scary being alone."

As she turned a corner, she spotted a bright light in the distance. "What's that?" she wondered aloud.

But before she could make another step, a trio of Gooplings jumped out the windows of a nearby building. One struck Vicky on the chest and she fell onto the sidewalk, dropping her staff.

She looked up in terror at the Goopling, who glared at her. "You're afraid?" it hissed nastily as the other Gooplings slithered closer. "Good…"

As the Terrorlings opened their mouths to bite her, Vicky looked up and saw the tower looming over the street. She also saw a single light near the top where she guessed I was trapped, and remembered my kind words.

"Y-You're right," she said. "I am afraid… But not of you guys!"

With that, she swung her arm out and shoved the Goopling away. Jumping to her feet, she ran to grab her staff and pointed it at the Gooplings. "Fireball!"

Three bursts of flame shot out of her staff, striking each of the Gooplings. They screamed in pain as the fire burned their bodies which quickly melted like candles. Stepping over the puddle that remained, Vicky ran towards the light.

As she got closer, she could see that the light was in the window of a small cake store. "That's Charlotte's pastry shop," she realized. She then spotted a human shape in the window. "Is that the person we're looking for?"

But then, she spotted a huge swarm of Gooplings crowded outside the door, along with dozens of taller Terrorlings. "Uh-oh, there's too many of them," she gulped. "I'll never fight them all off on my own!"

Quickly, she ducked into an alley before she was spotted. "Looks like I'll have to come back for that person later," she sighed.

On the other side of the alley, she discovered an old gramophone resting on a table in the middle of the street. "That's right, Charlotte played music to the protagonist on the fourth night," she recalled. "Maybe if I play it, Taryn will know that I'm coming."

She switched it on and carefully lowered the needle onto the record. To her surprise, she heard a weird synthesized version of 'All Star' by Smash Mouth. "Really? Why this?" she muttered.

Next to the gramophone was another envelope. After she wrote her next letter, she set off towards the tower…

* * *

From my jail cell, I also heard the music, but I didn't know where it came from, or why that song either. "That was weird, huh, Tiny Bug Tim?"

As usual, the bug made no reply, but I didn't mind. "You know what, I like you, Tim. Say, I don't have to… feed you, do I? Oh wait, this is just a dream. Never mind."

Just then, a letter came through the slot. The moment I opened it, I knew it was from Dr. Money.

_I'm sure you've also heard that music, huh? Your little friend seems to think she can be the hero who saves the day. It's almost quaint; such a shame she won't last much longer. The generator room can be a bit__…_shocking_ to those who don't know what they're doing. You just stay in your cell like the good, valuable child you are._

With a scowl, I scrunched up his letter and threw it aside. "I'm really starting to hate that bastard!"

Another letter came in just then, but this one gave me more hope. "Vicky!" I cheered, ripping it open.

_I know you're getting these letters and I know you can't respond; it's okay. I'm still scared, but I think I can reach the tower before it gets dark. It's so empty around here, though. I wish you were here; being alone only makes things worse._

"Oh Vicky, I know how you feel," I sighed.

_On the bright side, I think I saw our person in one of the shops! I couldn't get inside though because there were just too many Terrorlings outside. Sorry!_

"Don't be sorry," I replied as if she was here. "At least you'll know where they are now. Then once you've freed me, you can guide me there."

I then saw another green envelope slide in. "It's from our target," I recalled. "I wonder what they're thinking about this time…"

_This sucks. How the hell did I even get here anyways? I've been staring at this wall for like__…__ I dunno, a while? Time isn't real! Nothing is real! We're all gonna die!_

"No doubt about it, this is who we're looking for," I decided. "And it's gotta be the person Vicky saw in the shop." I kept reading the letter, and what I saw next made my blood run cold.

_Fuck__…__ being lonely sucks; it fucking hurts. And now I'm just sending out letters to someone that isn't real. How pathetic is that? Guess they were right__…_

"Oh no!" I jumped onto my bed and yelled out the window. "I'm real! I'm here! Listen to my voice!"

But it was no use; there was no way anyone could have heard me from up here. I might as well have been a flea, shouting from beneath the long fur of a dog.

I felt so helpless in this tiny cell; sinking onto the bed, I put my arms onto my knees and bowed my head. Tears poured down my cheeks and fell onto my dress. "What am I going to do…?"

* * *

Little did I know that, right at that moment, Vicky was running through the doors into the tower's lobby. "Yes! I made it just in time!" she cheered. "Now I just need to find the generator."

The lobby was very small with only two doors. The first one was locked tight, as she discovered, but the second led into a large room full of equipment. "This must be the place."

She walked up to a computer built into the wall. "Alright, let's see… So, in Presentable Liberty, Salvadore tried to destroy the generator and ended up getting electrocuted. I need to find some way to disable it instead."

After writing another letter and flinging it out of the room, she set to work on the generator. At this point, most of what she explained to me got too complicated for me, so long story short, she found a way to close the breaker and take out the power.

"Yes!" she cheered as the emergency lights kicked in. "I guess it pays to have an electrical engineer for a mom! Taryn should be free; now she just has to find her way out."

* * *

To try and cheer me up, I took out my weapon again, turning it over. "Hmm, the Oshirinoken… Bit of a mouthful, isn't it? I think I'll call you… Shiri. What do you think, Tim?"

The bug's response was to crawl under the table. "Say, Tim, you're not a Terrorling, are you? That'd be kind of awkward, especially since you're so tiny." I looked over at him. "No? Ok, that's good."

I got off the bed and sat next to the table. "Y'know, it's a good thing you're here, Tim, or I'd have been even lonelier. Thanks for being with me, Tiny Bug Tim."

Just then, Vicky's next letter came in: _You're almost free! I'm going to disable the generator so you can get out. The cell you're in is actually an elevator, but it's missing the buttons to lower it. Once the door opens, try to find the button panel and attach it to the wires by your door. I'll be waiting for you on the ground floor. Good luck!_

Just as I finished reading the letter, the light went out and the door clicked open. "Yes, she did it!" I cried, getting to my feet. "But wait, how did-"

But another letter from Dr. Money came in before I could finish my question.

_I wouldn't leave here if I were you. Don't you know how much you're worth? Your useless friend may have turned off the generator, but why join her when you could stay in your cell? Here, you are safe and comfortable, without a care in the world. This is your only warning, do not try to leave._

I hadn't planned on staying in the cell at all, and the next letter from our target sealed the deal.

_I hate being alone. Honestly, I'm just so tired of this. I'm tired of everything. I don't want to do this. I don't want to do anything. I don't wanna be here anymore._

"There's no way I'm staying here while this person dies alone," I declared. "I have to find them and fast." With that, I grabbed Shiri, pushed the door open and ran out my cell.

But the moment I stepped outside, a pair of Terrorlings materialized out of the shadows. These ones were taller and gaunter than the ones in Vicky's dream, but their clawed hands were exactly the same.

"You were warned, little girl," they hissed as one. "Now you shall die!"

* * *

**Out of the frying pan and into the shadows! Find out next time to see if our heroes will be reunited.**


End file.
